John M. Paxton, Jr.
General, U.S. Marine Corps
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps

John M. Paxton, Jr. was born in 1951 in Chester, PA. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, earning both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Civil Engineering. He was elected to the Sphinx Head Society during his senior year. Moreover, he was a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity throughout his undergraduate years at Cornell. Upon completion of Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1974.

After completion of the Basic School, he was ordered to Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA, and then assigned as a Rifle Platoon Commander in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 1st Marine Brigade, Kaneohe, HI.

Paxton has served twice with the 1st Marine Division (3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and 1st Marines), once with the 2nd Marine Division (1st Battalion, 8th Marines), and twice with the 3rd Marine Division (1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines), commanding at the platoon, company, battalion and regimental levels. He Commanded Battalion Landing Team 1/8 from April 1992 - June 1994. They deployed with 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable and USS America (CV-66) Battle Group as Landing Force 6th Fleet (LF6F 2-93) and Joint Adaptive Task Force 93-2 in support of operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and later as United Nations Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in Mogadishu, Somalia.

In addition to command, General Paxton has also served in Operations, Plans and Training (G3/S3) at the battalion, regiment, division (1st and 2nd Marine Divisions) and Marine Expeditionary Force (II-MEF) levels. Non-Fleet Marine Force tours included Commanding Officer Company B, Marine Barracks, 8th & I, Washington, DC (1980-81); Commanding Officer Marine Corps Recruiting Station New York, NY (1985-88); Strategic Plans Branch (PLS), Plans, Policies and Operations (PP&O) Department, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps; and as Executive Assistant and Marine Corps Aide to the Under Secretary of the Navy (1996-97). General Paxton is a Joint Service Officer, having served at United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command in Korea from 1989-1991 as Amphibious Operations Officer and Executive Officer, Crisis Action Team.

From June 1997 to June 1998, he was the Assistant Chief of Staff G3 (Operations, Plans and Training). His next assignment, from June 1998 to June 2000, was Commanding the 1st Marine Regiment. From 2000 to 2001, Paxton had a one-year tour as the U.S. Marine Corps Fellow (National Security Studies) at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. From July 2001 to August 2003, he was the Director, Programs Division (RP), and Assistant Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Programs and Resources (ADC,P&R), Headquarters Marine Corps.

From 2003-2006, Paxton served as Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Western Recruiting Region.

On 22 May 2007, Major General Paxton relinquished Command of the 1st Marine Division to Brigadier General Richard P. Mills. Paxton next served as Chief of Staff to the Commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq. Advanced to Lieutenant General in 2008, Paxton served initially as Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J-8) on the Joint Staff, then was nominated and confirmed to the Operations Directorate (J-3), where he served until appointment as CG, II MEF; and CG, Marine Forces, Africa. Before departing the Pentagon, Paxton also served as Interim Director, The Joint Staff.

Prior to his current assignment, Paxton served as the Commanding General of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command| (MARFORCOM); Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic (FMFlant); Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe, as well as II Marine Expeditionary Force.

On 15 December 2012, John M. Paxton, Jr. was promoted to the rank of four-star General and began his service as the 33rd Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Military Education

In addition to The Basic School, his professional education includes U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School (non-resident), U.S. Army Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. In 1994-1995 Major General Paxton was a Federal Executive Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution. He has also been a Marine Corps Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Seminar XXI.

Medals, Awards, and Badges

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2 Awards)
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (2 Awards)
Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2 Awards)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2 Awards)
Navy Unit Commendation (2 Awards)
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with 3 Service Stars
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
National Defense Service Medal with 2 Service Stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with Service Star
Iraq Campaign Medal with Service Star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 4 Service Stars
Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with Service Star
Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon
United Nations Medal
Parachutist Badge
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

General Paxton also holds several Expert Rifle Badges, as well as the Sharpshooter Pistol Badge.